Track jack



Feb'. 20, 1934. c. SPAGNA 1,9117537A TRACK JACK Filed Feb. l5, 1932 `Inventor By 5W Altorney Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PAT-ENT OFFICE TRACK 4JACK Calisto Spagna, Wheeler, Ind. Application February 15, 1932. serial No. 592,862

4 claims. (o1. 254-43) My invention relates to improvements in track jacks suitable for railroad service, and it more especially consists of the features pointed out in the claims.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a simple, strong and self-contained track jack that will enable one person to easily change the alignment of a track rail; that because of its unique anchoring feature the jack holds itself positively 1G in position so as to shift the rail and the attached ties without itself being moved in the ballast; that provides a pair of angularly disposed anchors which embed themselves in the ballast of the road bed and as soon as the operating lever is pressed downward the weight of the rail on the movable rack prevents the jack from coming out of the ballast and in consequence the rail and the tie are shifted sideways without the possibility of the jack being moved away from the rail; that provides at the front end of the rack a series of adjustable notches for engaging the base of the rail at different elevations; and that provides a convenient handle for the easy carrying of the jack so that one man can readily operate it at different points as may be required.

With these and other ends in View I illustrate in the accompanying drawing such instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad underlying features of the invention without limiting myself to the specific details shown thereon and described herein.

Figure 1 is a side elevation in section showing the jack in position with the handle raised and the rack in engagement with a railway rail.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of Fig. 1 on a reduced scale.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 2 on line 3 3.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 2 on line 4 4.

In placing my device at the disposal of track workers I may use whatever alternatives or equivalents of construction that the exigencies of varying conditions may demand without departing from the broad spirit of the invention.

My light-weight jack comprises a fiat bed or base plate 2. At the forward end of the plate two anchoring prongs 3 are placed, which project downward at an angle. Near the rear end of this base plate there are two bearings 13 between which a segment 14 pivoted on a pin 16 operates. This segment has a radial projection 17 in which an opening is formed for the insertion of an operating handle 18. A portion of the periphery of the segment has teeth 15 which engage the teeth 5 or prongs on a rack 4 positioned and slidable between the bearings 13. The front end of this rack 4 is provided with a series of steps 7 to accommodate different 0.0 heights and different positions of the base of the rail 1. Above the steps l there is a projection 8 in which a limit screw 9 may be placed and directly back of this projection 8 a support or guide 10 is provided so as to hold the rack 65 4 in working position. The upper portion of this support 10 is formed in the shape of a handle 11, so as to make it easy to carry the jack into different operating positions against a rail, between adjacent ties. Between the bearings 13 70 for the toothed segment 14 and the front guide 10, the rack has a projection 6 and between this projection and the rear face of the guide 10 a heavy spring 12 is positioned. This spring serves to shift the rack 4 to its rearward or starting 'l5 position.

The operation of my device is extremely simple. In Fig. 1 it is shown with the anchor prongs embedded in the ballast of the track so that as the hand lever is pressed downward the sliding rack will be moved forward and against the face of the rail. This action will at the same time on account of the weight of the rail hold the anchor feet solidly in the ballast so that the jack will not be moved rearward as the rail is pushed forward.

It will be seen that the rack is supported on the plate and it is slidable between the inner faces of the bearings for the segment. The front guide may be made removable Vfrom the base plate so as to make it easy to assemble the rack during the production of the jack. The function of the device is unique in that it is the weight of the rail and the attached ties which prevent the jack being lifted out of the ballast and at the same time holding it down so that the rail will be moved laterally to the desired extent.

Even though a pair of prongs is shown on the drawing and the description refers to them, it is obvious that a single prong may also serve to hold the jack in the ballast and in the use of a pair of prongs or prongs in the claims, it is understood to include a single prong as an equivalent.

What I claim is:

l. In railroad track jacks, a support comprising a suitable base, a slidable rack movable endwise of the support on its upper face, a toothed segment for operating the rack, a series of steps at the front end of the rack, and a pair of prongs projecting downwardly from the front end of the base, whereby as the rack is moved forward the prongs prevent the base being moved rearward.

2. In railroad jacks, a suitable base, a pair of downwardly projecting prongs positioned at the front end of the base, a rack slidablel on the base and provided at its front end with a stepped projeotionpositioned midway between the prongs and above them, suitable guides on the base for the rack, a bearing for a segment on each side of the rack and projecting above the same, a toothed segment pivoted in the bearings and engaging the teeth of the rack, a projection having an opening extending radially from the toothed segment, and a removable handle insertable in the opening.

3. In railroad jacks, a suitable base, projecting prongs at the front end of the base, a rack slidable on the base lengthwise thereof, a projection at the front end of the rack extending above and below it, steps formed on the front face of said projection, and means supported by the base plate adapted to forcibly push the rack forward against a railroad rail, such movement causing the rail to shift laterally and at the same time positively hold the jack embedded in the ballast of the road bed.

4. A track jack comprising a base having depending rneans at its front end capable of entering the track ballast, a rack slidablev on the base lengthwise thereof, a stepped projection at the front end of the rack adjacent the ballast entering means, a guideway on the base for the rack, upstanding ears forming a passage Way therebetween for the rack, a toothed segment pivoted in the ears and engaging the teeth of the rack, and a removable handle entering a socket of the segment.

CALISTO SPAGNA. 

